After offending capital, my songs became more and more popular.

Chapter 193 Sacrificing the small family for the greater good, loving giving and recognition!
The song "The Moon on the Fifteenth" doesn't explicitly state whether "fifteenth" refers to the 15th of each month in the Chinese lunar calendar or the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. However, everyone in China knows that "fifteenth" is the night of the full moon, and there's a saying in traditional culture that "the full moon symbolizes family reunion." On this day that symbolizes reunion, the People's Liberation Army soldiers guarding the border are separated from their families. Not only can they not meet, but in some remote areas, there's no signal, and they can't even make a phone call.

Everyone in China knows the significance of the Lantern Festival (15th of the lunar calendar) for family reunion, and everyone understands the longing for loved ones on that day.

Therefore, when Shen Ming'en sang, not only the teachers, but even many ordinary viewers couldn't help but want to "read and understand" the lyrics!
The live stream chat was flooded with comments, scrolling non-stop:

Mainstream works never directly glorify the intensity of the battlefield. When the camera focuses on the personal moment of the "full moon" on the fifteenth day of the lunar month, it contrasts "the cradle of a baby" with "the border defense of the motherland"; it emphasizes "filial piety" with "defending the border." This "de-heroic" narrative breaks away from the traditional military song's singular portrayal of "heroes," allowing the soldiers to return from "symbols" to the essence of "humanity"!

They have concerns for their families, and the family members are not passive "waiters," but active "supporters"!

This shift in perspective is essentially a redefinition of "dedication"!

Dedication is not a one-sided sacrifice, but a two-way effort between the "small family" and the "great nation," just as the lyrics say, "The medal of honor belongs to you and me!"

The lyrics, though seemingly straightforward, actually dismantle the notion of "heroes alone basking in glory," elevating the sacrifices of family members to the same level of value as the officers, and grounding the concept of "family and nation as one" in tangible emotion!

……

"The full moon on the fifteenth day of the lunar month~"

"The light shines on our hometown and on the border."

"A peaceful night~"

"You miss me, and I miss you too~"

……

On stage, Shen Ming'en continued singing, his rich and emotional bel canto tenor voice echoing throughout the studio, his voice loud and distinctive.

As the core image, the "moon on the fifteenth" itself is endowed with a dual meaning that is both contradictory and unified.

On the surface, it is the "absence of family reunion," but at a deeper level, it is the "fulfillment of the spirit"!
The expectation of "a full moon and family reunion" in traditional culture contrasts sharply with the reality of "I am at the border while you are at home." The fuller the moon, the more it highlights the bitterness of separation. This "gap in the perfection" is precisely the most acute expression of longing.

When "your longing" and "my longing" converge under the moonlight, when "your perseverance" and "my support" both point to "family reunion," the separation of the individual is transformed into the tranquility of the collective.

At this moment, the moon is no longer a symbol of separation, but a link connecting "family longing" with "national peace and tranquility".

It witnessed the sacrifice, and even more so, the significance of that sacrifice!

This use of imagery to highlight the completeness through imperfection gives the abstract concept of "patriotism" a concrete meaning, allowing the audience to feel "worth it" amidst "regret," thus completing a natural transition of emotion from "sadness" to "sublimity."

Defending one's home and country is inherently noble and supreme!
……

"You are filial to your parents and work hard without complaint~"

"I am willing to shed blood and sweat for my motherland!"

You bear the heavy responsibility for the whole family on your shoulders.

"I'm protecting national security!"

……

The vocabulary was almost entirely used by those who were in a hurry to do reading comprehension, leaving the teachers in the online live broadcast room without any words to use.

【Ugh, I can't take it anymore!】

A large group of students in the live stream were immediately provoked, and the chat was filled with comments like:

Since they're stealing our lines, let's go for something professional!

[Class, students, class is in session!]

[Can someone tell the teacher what details are present in the melody of this song?]

[I want to come, teacher! I want to come! Ahhh, I want to come!]

[You, the loudest student, come here!]

【My turn! It's finally my turn! Ahhh!】

[The melody's "folk appeal"! What this song does best is bringing "grand emotions" into the "ears of ordinary people"!]

Shen Ming'en's work is a perfect example of "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." I don't know if anyone noticed, but like his song "Beijing Welcomes You," this song also uses the most familiar pentatonic scale in Chinese folk music: "Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zhi, Yu."

The melody flows smoothly and gently, without flashy high notes or complex key changes, yet it is as natural and fluent as spoken language!

That's why the opening line, "The moon on the fifteenth shines on my hometown and on the border," is so catchy and easy to sing!

This quality allowed it to spread from military camps to the streets and alleys, becoming a truly "universally accessible" melody!

[Great! Very good! But the teacher thinks there's something to add!]

[Can any student tell the teacher about the rhythmic details of this piece?]

【I'll go! Teacher! It's me!】

Okay, the student with the quietest voice, you come!

[Rhythmically, this song is based on a steady 4/4 time signature, with slight syncopation added, such as the sustained "ah~" in "ah~ harvest fruits," which retains the solemnity of military songs while injecting the lyricism of folk songs, as if a loved one is whispering under the moon, rather than a deliberate "singing."]

This "de-technical" melodic design echoes the simplicity of the lyrics; the less contrived it is, the more it resonates with the heart!

It makes "family and country" no longer a distant concept, but something hidden in the everyday emotions of every ordinary person!

A group of self-proclaimed experts went on and on about "melody," speaking in incredibly profound and mysterious terms, leaving many ordinary viewers bewildered. One guy simply blurted out:
[After all that, all that roundabout talk boils down to this song being "down-to-earth"!]

As soon as these words came out...

【puff……】

【Hahahahaha...】

The older brother's simple and direct approach immediately won the approval of many viewers.

In fact, this song is really down-to-earth enough to make everyone realize the deeper meaning of the work.

Many people learn about military life, including the spirit of the soldiers, through military-themed movies, TV series, and official propaganda.

To be honest, no one who has never served in the military knows what real military life is like...

So even if many people can understand the spirit and such, it's unlikely that they can truly empathize with it.

After all, that's not their daily life...

Shen Ming'en's work cleverly combines "the moon on the fifteenth" with the uncles' "longing for their hometown and relatives".

These things are very characteristic of our national culture. How many Chinese people with families don't understand them?
It is precisely these down-to-earth elements that resonate so deeply with the audience, and that Shen Ming'en captured the hearts of all Chinese people the moment he opened his mouth to sing!
This!
That's the kind of work that can truly move everyone!
Shen Ming'en continued singing:

…Ah~ Our motherland is prosperous~

"Your contribution was partly my contribution!"

"Family reunion is our wish, and it's your wish too~"

"Ah~~~Ah~~~"

"That's also your wish~"

……

In fact, whether it is war or peace, "separation" is an eternal human emotional experience. The straightforward lyrics "You miss me, and I miss you too" allow anyone who has experienced separation to easily empathize with the character.

"Half of the medal" is not only an affirmation of the families of the officers, but also embodies the expectations of all the "behind-the-scenes contributors".

Behind every glamorous facade lies untold support, and this desire to be "seen" resonates across time.

When creating works on the theme of "border defense" in this round, almost all the creators focused their attention on the officers themselves. Only Shen Ming'en's work praised the officers and the people who worked silently behind the scenes!

And in the eyes of his fans and supporters, he has always been this kind of person...

After all, he once had works like "The Lone Warrior" and the classic lyrics, "Who says only those who stand in the light are heroes?"
Sing a song.

Shen Ming'en first opened his arms, then placed one hand behind his back and the other in front of his chest, smiled, and bowed deeply to the audience and the camera.

Calm and confident, Shen Ming'en's current demeanor truly gives people the feeling that he can easily defeat everyone.

That's the feeling that makes all the viewers feel incredibly hooked!
"Oh!!!"

"Ahhhh!!!"

"Shen Ming'en! Shen Ming'en!"

"Thunder Yatalain!"

"I've got guts, kid, hahaha!"

……

The audience's enthusiasm was ignited as always. It was the height of summer, and dawn broke early. By the time Shen Ming'en finished singing "The Moon on the Fifteenth," it was almost daylight. However, the audience, who had stayed up all night with them, were not sleepy at all and even felt a sense of wanting more.

There's nothing we can do; he's Shen Ming'en, after all!

The cheers in the online live stream were equally intense, almost taking over the entire screen. At this point, many viewers actually hated the bullet comments, since there were so many that they couldn't even see Shen Ming'en's face!
It's worth mentioning that the group of "masters" in the live stream showed no intention of giving up, even until the very end.

And what they were doing was indeed very meaningful.

【"The Moon on the Fifteenth" exemplifies the grand vision of a seemingly simple song!】

The most moving aspect of this piece lies in its use of a "small entry point" to explain a "profound truth." It doesn't shout slogans about "patriotism," but rather allows listeners to naturally understand the weight of "sacrificing the small family for the greater good" through empathy for the longing between husband and wife.

It doesn't create a "perfect hero," but it allows every ordinary person to see themselves reflected in the lyrics!

Whether it's the police officers who stand guard, the family members who offer support, or the countless families enjoying peace and tranquility, everyone is part of this large collective!

This emotional progression "from the individual to the collective" elevates it beyond the realm of a "military song," transforming it into a universal hymn of love, sacrifice, and recognition!

……

The screen was filled with a dense barrage of praise and analytical comments.

It's worth noting that, for the sake of live interaction, the singers backstage at "Chinese Music Awards: Red Song Season" also had bullet comments on their screens, which meant that all the praise for Shen Ming'en was heard by the singers backstage.

The director's camera panned across each of them, and their expressions were quite fascinating...

Especially Chen Chuan, the "dark horse".

Xiao Chen couldn't laugh anymore; the expression on his face was even uglier than crying.

Although Yue Huochuan had warned him beforehand that Shen Mingen must have been prepared since he dared to bring this up, he never expected that Shen Mingen's "additional performance" would be even better than the official performance of "Little White Poplar"!
Regarding his song "The Moon on the Fifteenth," in the dialect-based Chinese entertainment industry, who can directly defeat him on the topic of "defense line"?
Aside from Shen Mingen himself, I doubt anyone can defeat him!
"Ha~"

The veteran Yue Huochuan, showing a lack of tact, even at this critical moment, still managed to utter a sarcastic remark: "Some things, the worst thing you can do is assume things, this..."

Unfortunately, before he could finish speaking, Chen Chuan, who was not far away, gritted his teeth and shouted:
"Shut your ass, you old bastard, you *&%￥#@…"

Old Yue had never been insulted like this before. He was stunned for a moment, then quickly cursed back.

The two sides started arguing.

It gradually escalated into a war of words, and later they even started singing about pulling hair!
"Move the camera...!"

Fortunately, the director backstage was quick-witted and moved the camera away; otherwise, news of the two fighting would probably be trending on social media right now.

Anyway...

Amidst all the noise and commotion, the second impromptu encore performance of the fourth round finally came to an end.

It was almost the same time...

Two groups of staff members went to the guests backstage and to the surprise guest Xu Jiajia in the lounge.

Both groups of staff were there to deliver notices.

Backstage, staff members approached Yue Huochuan and Chen Chuan, who had finally stopped fighting, and announced, "Teachers, get ready to go on stage and see the voting results."

On Xu Jiajia's side, a staff member went over and asked, "Teacher Jiajia, do you need a surprise attack this round?"

Different people received different notifications, but the expressions of the guests backstage were remarkably similar to Xu Jiajia's.

They all had gloomy faces, twitching lips, and looked utterly indecisive...

Have no idea……

Right now, they just can't seem to get into a good mood!
The singers backstage were reluctant to go on stage because they had probably already guessed the voting results. Since Shen Ming'en was going to win anyway, why would they go up there?
Xu Jiajia's situation is even worse; she's practically begging to know if the production team deliberately came to ask her this just to humiliate her...

A surprise attack on him?
Ask anyone who dares to launch a surprise attack on his "The Moon on the Fifteenth" this round!

Are you crazy?!

Of course, they weren't in the mood to go on stage, and Shen Ming'en wasn't paying attention to them either...

Shen Ming'en is now wondering what Director Niu's reply will be.
……

(End of this chapter)